Court Freezes Assets of Suspects – Pension Fraud

Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Lawal H. Gumi, has granted an interim order to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to attach and take possession of the assets of all the six accused persons who allegedly defrauded the Police Pension Office to the tune of N32.8 billion.

The commission in a statement said the judge further ordered the freezing of the bank accounts of all the accused persons pending the
hearing and final determination of the corruption case against them.

The six suspects who were arraigned on March 29, 2012, on a 16 count-charge of conspiracy and criminal breach of trust before Justice Mohammed Talba of Abuja High Court sitting at Gudu, Abuja, were Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, John Yakubu Yusufu, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula and Sani Habila Zira.

Kigo was the director of the Police Pension Office, before he was made permanent secretary.

Fifteen of the 45 properties which were ordered forfeited on interim basis, belonged to Dangabar, 11 to Mrs. Onyegbula, six to Wada, five belongd to Kigo while Yusuf and Zira had four each.

According to the order, “all the bank accounts currently being operated and maintained by Inuwa wada at keystone and Zenith Bank, all totalling 11 in number are hereby temporarily frozen until the determination of the charge Number FCT/Cr/64/2012.